Posted by DocGreg on February 07, 1999 at 16:31:35:
In Reply to: Need feedback from any CH sufferers who've tried Prozac posted by Rose on February 07, 1999 at 11:17:04:
Rose,
There IS NOT a higher association of tumors with people suffering from cluster headaches. There is, however, a number of people that have been misdiagnosed as having cluster headaches when, in fact, they have something else (like a tumor). Therefore, people with newly diagnosed sever headaches should always get a scan at some point. If another is done later just to make sure nothing was missed, ok. Routine scans, however, are not necessary, unless there is some change in the quality/quantity of the headaches. The only thing terminal about cluster headaches is the depression, which can absolutely kill.
Prozac has not been shown to be very effective in the treatment of cluster headaches. It does, however, work well with depression. All of us, at some point, have become depressed from our headaches (different degrees, but down none the less), and prozac is a good first line drug for the treatment of depression. Elavil, as mentioned in another posting, has been shown to have a little effectiveness in clusters, and significant benefit in people with migraines. It is in a different drug class than prozac, and works on different chemicals in the brain. If you are trying to kill two birds with one stone (and why not), I would suggest Elavil over prozac.
Good luck
Greg